Gunner #6 Black Labrador Retriever Mix Male 3 Year Old ID #2534

Gunner is a 75lb,  two to three year old Black Labrador.  Gunner has been hanging out at a kennel in NJ for about a year.  His owner was down on their luck, and the kennel was helping them out by caring for Gunner.  His owner recently decided it was in Gunner’s best interest to surrender him to the kennel.  The kennel contacted Brookline.  He is currently getting settled in his foster home.  Please read Gunner’s blog from the bottom up.

March 10, 2021

This is an update from Gunner’s trainer at Canine Kamp :

I have been working and playing with Gunner for a few months now and love getting to know him. He is so sweet and loves to cuddle. Often, he’ll come and sit next to me (while chewing on a ball) and lean against my legs while I scratch his back. He is good at meeting new people, but other dogs, not so much.

He is very interested in dogs, but if they get too close, he may bark and pull towards them. He is better around dogs that are older and more calm, but seems to dislike more energetic, dominant or aggressive ones. He walks pretty well on his “Freedom No-Pull” harness (clipped to the front), but does pull when he gets excited about sniffing something or seeing other dogs. I’ve tried the gentle leader, but he’s not a fan of it!

He loves going for walks, and exploring and running around the big yard. He has gotten so much stronger since he was rescued and is now doing some of our obstacles, jumps, tunnels, ramps, etc. He loves playing with toys of all types, but will chew them up if given the chance. He enjoys fetching at times, but would rather play keep away or tug!

When he gets overly excited, sometimes he gets a bit “grabby” (trying to grab my arms), trying to get me to play. I have found a few ways to discourage this rough play and he rarely does it now.

Gunner is such a special boy and I know that the right person for him is out there! Sometimes, when he’s playing with his toys, he gets so silly, tossing them around or chewing the balls like its gum. He’ll roll over for a belly rub with the sweetest look on his face!

February 23, 2021

This smart guy is working hard on “stay” – check out this handsome dude!

February 14, 2021

Gunner wanted to share some fun pics and videos.

He loves his stuffed toys and will chew on them, but not destroy them.

Long walks are the best thing ever – full of amazing smells!

And he is also definitely a fan of the snow!

February 5, 2021

Gunner has been brushing up on his manners at Canine Kamp, and he is now ready to find his forever home!  This handsome boy is about 3 yrs. old, and spent a whole year in a kennel before coming to Brookline through no fault of his own – his owner tried for a long time to find a place where she could have him, and when she couldn’t, she surrendered him to the kennel where he was staying.

Gunner loves his people, but is not so fond of other dogs – he’s pretty dog selective.  He has some issues with his hips, so he needs to stay active, which is fine with him – he loves to run and play ball!  He is good with kids, but should not be placed with young ones, as when he gets excited, he jumps up and grabs.  He has been learning that people are not toys, but that will need to continue to be reinforced.  But at the end of the day, Gunner is the ultimate snuggle bug!

January 25, 2021

Look at that handsome dude!

Gunner has been brushing up on his doggy manners and is doing so well!  He is working hard on impulse control – learning he has to wait at times to get what he wants – and alternatives to jumping up and grabbing when he gets excited.  He is also working on “drop it” – even with a super fun toy!

Gunner loves running around the big fenced in yard, and as you can see, still loves his balls!

Gunner is looking for someone committed to continuing his training.  This love bug will reward you with lots of snuggle time at the end of the day!

January 11, 2021

Gunner continues to enjoy life at Canine Kamp.  His running and playing are keeping him fit and in excellent shape!  He still loves his toys and balls – check out his video!  He is currently working on learning to relinquish those fun toys – not an easy task for an enthusiastic ball player.

He is walking really well with a front clip harness, though he definitely has that Lab sense of smell and loves exploring new scents along the way.  He does well passing dogs at a distance, but is still working on not getting too excited as they get closer.  He will bark as they pass his kennel.

However, Gunner chills nicely in his kennel and especially looks forward to snuggle time with whoever is willing to curl up with him.  This love bug will soon be ready to find a wonderful home where he gets lots of exercise, where he will continue to learn to redirect his excitement when playing and where there will be lots of cuddling at the end of the day.

December 30, 2020

This big love bug has spent the last several weeks at Canine Kamp, learning good manners when he gets excited.  Gunner loves nothing more than to snuggle and be loved, but he can get a bit carried away when he wants to play.  He didn’t understand that it is inappropriate to jump and grab sleeves, coats, etc. when he is in a playful mood, so his trainer has been working with him, and he has made tremendous progress! 

She has been working on impulse control games with toys and treats, and he’s a quick study.  She has found very effective strategies to discourage him from his mouthiness, and ways to redirect his excitement away from her and to appropriate outlets like toys and balls.  Check out the pictures and videos of Gunner enjoying play time!

Gunner will soon be ready to find his forever home.  He is looking for a home where his special people will continue to work on his manners, give him plenty of exercise, then be ready for a snuggle bug at the end of the day!  

This boy has spent far too long in a kennel setting (prior to coming into rescue), and is hoping to find his perfect family (and home) soon!

November 18,2020

Gunner has been doing great! He had a small skin infection that we treated with antibiotics and he’s all healed up now.

He really loves running around in the snow and was thrilled when we went outside yesterday to a nice dusting of the white stuff!

Gunner’s mouthing has reduced significantly. We’ve been practicing his basic obedience and it’s definitely helping. Also, we’re getting better at recognizing when it might escalate and we shut it down immediately. We’ve got it down to about one per week.

Gunner wasn’t a fan of riding in the car when we first met him, however, recently he has shown a lot of enthusiasm for car rides. He’s even able to jump into the car all by himself now, and will do so any time he is given the opportunity!

While Gunner isn’t perfect, he’s close, any shortcomings are easily forgotten when he looks at you with his brown eyes and then sits on your feet or in your lap for snugs. We continue to believe that he would do best in a calm household with clear boundaries and expectations.

November 4, 2020

Gunner was adopted out for 2 weeks. He returned to Oct. 18th, and has settled back in nicely. Gunner mouths like a puppy, and while he did it to the adopted parents, he did not do this with the kids at his adopted home, but, understandably, his adopted family was fearful he might. Since returning to his foster home, he easily acclimated to his old routine, and has been very calm, and well behaved.

Gunner is a perfect angel with impeccable house manners 99.9% of the time. However, when excited or frustrated, Gunner jumps up with the intent to mouth arms. Because of his size and age, the mouthing is unnerving as he’s got weight and power behind him. He does not intend to hurt, it’s not a bite, but it can leave bruises. Foster Mom talked with a trainer regarding the mouthing, and has been working on diffusing the situation when it happens.

Because of the mouthing, it is recommended that he go to a home with no kids or older kids, and a quiet home in a quiet neighborhood. Keeping the excitement to a minimum will keep this behavior to a minimum.

His leash manners have improved slightly, but it’s still a wild card when there are other dogs or people around. He loves to go say hi, as he has loved every person he has met so far! Gunner is smart, so with some training he can be taught to walk properly on a leash.He hiked 4 miles a week ago, and was a little ouchy that night. He was fine and ready to go again the next day though! Today he ran 2 miles, and was full of spunk this evening. He did very well with a house full of ladies last weekend; he took full advantage of all the pets and pats and everyone fell in love with him!

October 20, 2020

September 17, 2020

Gunner had a pretty normal week. He’s been walking 2 miles in the morning and then a 1/2 mile at night. He’s really good about going to the bathroom on demand first thing in the morning and then again right before bed. He has started regularly climbing the stairs to our bedroom and now at night, after my husband takes him out for his last bathroom break, as soon as he comes in, he checks every room on the first floor to make sure I’m not downstairs, and then he walks himself up to our bedroom. He lays on his bed all night and sleeps well, although he does lick a lot right before falling asleep and again in the morning if we wakes up before us. He never comes to the bed to nudge us awake or anything though, so I am grateful for that because I like my sleep!

He has started barking when we get visitors. It’s not a loud or a vicious bark just an alert bark that he continues to do until the visitor makes themselves known or like the Fed Ex truck, they drive away. I do praise him for it, because it is appropriate barking.

Gunner had a play date with the neighbor’s dog, Reggie, a smaller mix. We wanted to be super careful with the intro, so we allowed them to meet through the fence first, sniffing, etc to see what Gunner’s reaction would be. At first his hair stood up and he was a bit growly, and he was VERY excited. After he calmed down, my husband took him inside the fence to play with the other dog. He had to do it because I cannot hold Gunner back when he is excited. We kept Gunner leashed, however, because his play style is a lot for little dogs and we wanted to make sure he didn’t hurt Reggie. He did very well but at one point he did kind of pummel Reggie and Reggie let him know that he didn’t like it. Gunner took the correction without issue.

We will continue to try to acclimate these two neighborhood pups, as the socialization is good for both of them!

September 8, 2020

After a month of quarantine, we took Gunner out to do some socializing over the weekend. He went camping! He could not have been better. He was super excited to meet the other dogs, who really didn’t want to meet him. After he settled in, he didn’t bother them at all. He laid at my feet leashed, only getting up to greet other humans that came into the camping spot. He gained quite a few fans this weekend, as every human he met fell in love with his sweet demeanor, and adorable face.He slept in the tent between us on his bed and was super well behaved. I was fearful that with his love of snuggling, he’d be in my space all night, but he only licked my face once, and it was when he was ready to get up about 8am.He did meet a dog this weekend that he wasn’t a fan of. The puppy was large, 145 lbs, and a Bernese mountain dog, and intimidating, even though he only wanted to play. Gunner decided he did not like the puppy, and did not want to play. Gunner got grumpy pretty fast, and so the play date was short lived. He did snap at the puppy, and I do believe that the situation would not have ended well without some quick actions by the puppy’s owner, and myself. I think it’s safe to say that Gunner is dog selective. At this point, it seems as though he is partial to dogs that are smaller than he.Gunner was exhausted after his busy weekend and quickly curled up to sleep in the car on the way home.

September 1, 2020

Gunner’s skin continues to improve. He started antibiotics this week for a potential bacterial skin infection. His skin condition is looking better, and there is hair growing back all over.He’s becoming more, and more playful, eating more enthusiastically, and sleeping like a champ! He has quite the snore!We took our longest walk to date this week – 2 miles! His mobility seems to be getting better, he jumped up on the outdoor couch after his medicated bath the other night, so we know he can do that now. He still isn’t able to jump up into the car though. He also has been climbing the very steep stairs in our house to our second floor to sleep on our bedroom floor at night now, and I never even know he’s there.He went for a car ride yesterday. He likes being in the car, but didn’t like having to be in the hatch, away from Foster Mom. That being said, he was very well behaved, and didn’t complain vocally at all.

August 23, 2020

Gunner has now officially been with us for a week. He’s starting to show more of his goofy personality every day. He is such a great dog – so far he hasn’t had any accidents, stays off the furniture, doesn’t bark (we’ve heard him bark one time), sleeps great, doesn’t counter surf, and loooooooves to snuggle! He does play fetch and will give the ball up about 75% of the time. The other 25%, all bets are off. He likes to play tug and chase with his toys too. I will chase him around the sofa to get his toy, but if I turn around and start running away from him, he’ll chase me instead. He does get mouthy when he gets too excited. We’re working on that and his leash manners, but otherwise, he. is. perfect. He currently has ringworm, hence the hair loss on his legs and chest, but we’re giving him daily baths and we’re hopeful to have it under control soon!

August 16, 2020

Gunner is adjusting well to his new foster home. He likes his walks, and today he insisted on carrying his giant red ball with us for part of the walk! The Freedom Harness is a must with this guy, because he is a puller, and all the smells, and bugs to be chased can make him a handful at times. Gunner is a giant snuggle bug. He doesn’t get on the furniture, but loves it when we get on the floor to give him some attention. He does very well staying out of the way in the kitchen, and during the day while we’re working, he will wander into a different room to sleep. He is a good night time sleeper. He starts snoozing around 9pm, and willingly gets up for a potty break a bit later, and then doesn’t make a peep until we get moving in the morning! He does not need to be crated, as he has shown no interest in human items. He sure does love his toys though! He met my four year old niece, and my two year old foster nephew this week, and while he loved them a bit too much, knocking them both over on their first visit, he settled very quickly, and was very gentle, and appropriate with them on the second visit. They hugged and petted him quite a bit, and he couldn’t have been happier! He does like to play fetch in the house. We haven’t taken him anywhere that is fenced in to try fetch outdoors yet. We keep him leashed at all times in our yard. He’s very smart. It’s been difficult to get him to take his meds. Some times he’ll eat the pill concealing medium, (yogurt, cheese, liver sausage, peanut butter, pill pockets) but some times he won’t. Or even more frustratingly, he’ll eat the good part, and spit out the pill. He didn’t love his medicated bath yesterday, but it is definitely helping his skin! He goes to see the vet on Wednesday regarding his gait issues, and his skin concerns, so we’ll know more after that!

August 14, 2020

While Gunner is getting along with Yogi, there has been some discord between Gunner and our Alpha dog, Mac.  We decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest to move Gunner to another foster home with fewer furry friends.

August 13, 2020

Gunner is starting to come out of his shell.  He is becoming more comfortable with his foster family.  We heard him bark for the first time yesterday.  He wanted his foster brother, Yogi, to play.  So he started talking to him with a cute little grunt, and then a sweet bark.  He is vocal in a playful manner. The best part of yesterday was when the mail arrived.  He got a care package full of goodies from Brookline!  Yay.  He enjoyed a few treats inside; but by far, his favorite toy was the turkey he got because it talked back to him.  It has squeakers!  He carries it with him everywhere, and slept with it last night.  I had a hard time getting a good picture, but I tried. My boys also gave him a bath, which he enjoyed.  He ran around the backyard to dry himself off, after the towel dry.  Haha! Now that he has found his “voice,” he is on patrol by the front door to alert me to package deliveries.  It is a sweet little grunt of a bark that even amused the UPS man today as he came up on the front porch.  Even he can spot a love bug when he sees one.

August 10, 2020

Gunner has settled in quite nicely at our house.  He has become BFFs with my resident older Lab mix, Yogi.  They seem to be in sync with their same nap schedules.  Both enjoy chilling on the patio outside, sniffing the fresh Central PA air.  Neither Yogi, nor Gunner are prey-driven so they sit side-by-side, ears flapping with the breeze, watching the birds fly by, and the squirrels scamper around.  The weather has been nice the last few days for them to hang out. We live on an acre with a small Koi pond out back.  A few times, I have caught Gunner on the edge, pondering if he should take an afternoon dip (I should snap a picture of this!), but I have discouraged him.  Since he loves people, he knows his name and comes when he is called. Gunner is quite the love bug.  We do not encourage our fosters to get on the furniture.  However, my children (as you can see from the picture) invited Gunner into their laps because they love his kisses, which he gives out with abundance.  He is definitely a lover. Gunner is a velcro dog, and will follow you around the house.  As soon as he is certain you are staying put for more than 30 seconds, he will plop at your feet.  He does prefer my husband, Mike, who has worked from home many hours since Gunner‘s arrival.  Gunner made his home on the dog bed under Mike’s desk. We are working on leash manners.  He does like to be the leader since he is an alpha; but he works to please so once he knows you are the pack leader, he will listen to you.  Initial reports stated he loved treats, but he is a picky eater.  He also does not go in a crate…yet.  We are working on that as well.  However, good news, he has not had one accident, nor has he chewed anything. He just loves people, and is so happy to be out of a kennel. I literally have not heard this dog bark, which I am not used to since Yogi alerts me to the neighbors’ arrival home, the mailman’s deliveries, and when the garbagemen enter the neighborhood.  That’s all for now!

August 6, 2020

Today Gunner was sprung from the kennel, and is making the long journey to his new foster home thanks to several Brookline volunteers.